Improved clothes-wringer



UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

N. A. RHOADS, OF .WATERBURQ VERMONT.

IMPROVED CLOTH ES-WRINGER.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 37,521, dated January27, 1863.

.To all whom t may concern:

Be it known that I, N. A. RHOADS, of Vaterbury, in the county ofWashington and State of Vermont. have invented certain new and usefulImprovements in Clothes-VY/'ring` ers; and the following specification,taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, which form a part ofthe same, I hereby de clare to be a full and exact description thereof.

My invention relates entirely to the means of attaching the structure tothe edge of the tub', washing-machine, or box, or the like, and theother` partsvot' the machine may be dismissed with the simple remarkthat the crank and rollers, with the several springs and bearing-boxesand other parts, may be made in any approved name, and of any desiredmaterial to adapt the machine to efficiently and conveniently expressthe waterfrom clothing which is passed between the rolls. v

It is found. desirable for the sake of a proper support for the machine,and of accommodating its action upon the clothing, to adapt the machineto be readily secured upon the upper edge of a common wash-tub and to beas readily detached. It is also desirable to adapt the machine to titsecurely and firmly upon wash-tubs ot' different diameters, and also tobe readily removed from a tub of any diameter to a Washing-machine orother box-shaped vessel, having either curved or plane sides.

My invention is intended tofulll these conditions with less labor inpreparing and adjustingl than any wringer before known; and to enableothers properly skilled, who are familiar with the devices hitherto usedand proposed for this purpose to make and use my invention, I willproceed to describe its construction and operation by the aid of thedrawings,and of the letters of reference marked thereon.

Figure l is a side view of my invention as applied in two dierent formsto the two posts of a clothes-wringing machine. Fig. 2 is a horizontalsection of the vsame on the line S S in Fig. 1, and shows also the twodistinct forms of the device.y Fig. 3 is an edge view of the machine, ora section on the line T T in Fig. 1; but it shows only one of the formsof my inventionthat is to say, Fig. 3 shows only that form which is seenon the left post of the machine shown in Figs. l and 2.

Similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts in all thegures.

A A are the upright posts, which form the sides of the framing ot themachine. The edges A A are rounded to apply to the interior ot' ordinarytubs ot` small diameter, but

this fact does not prevent the same from ap- D is a slot in thehorizontal portion of D,

adapted to receive the body ot' the screw B. D extends down parallel toA, in the manner represented, to a point nearly opposite to the extremelower end of A. The function ot' the screw B is to keep the casting l)in contact with or very near the post A at all times, and also wheneverit is screwed in tightly to hold the casting D rigidly and prevent itssliding in the groove c. The bearing of D upon the tub being entirelybelow the point at which it is secured to the frame A, the strain is notin a direct line with the groove a, but is diagonally across the same.This diagonal strain, by the efort of the casting D to turn Within thegroove c and the iirm bearing thus produced against the sidesof thelatter, tends to hold the former firmly in place, requiring but amoderate pressure ot' the screw B to hold it very irmly. y

So far as now described, the two forms ot' my invention-to wit, that onthe rightpost ot' Figs. l and 2, and that on the left post of each--agree perfectly, but in certain other features they differ, and will bedescribed separately.

I will first describe that form ot the device seen on the right-handside, or on that post of the machine which is presented nearest theright side'of the sheetin these iigures. In

Near this groove I insert into A this form of the device, D2 is a bossor ear cast on D, adapted to receive the screw C, as represented. Thescrew C is 'secured therein by the aid of the shoulder c, and transversepin c', so that it is free to turn but not to move endwise therein. Theportion of D in this f rm of the device which extends down parallel toAis rounded in section,andis adapted to apply itself directly to theexterior of a tub or t ther vessel,so as to inclose the upper edge ofthe tub between itself and A. By reason of the parallel position of thispart of D to the edge A of the upright A, the parts A and D are adaptedto make a long and fair bearing on the outer and inner faces of the tub,the bearing extending from the extreme upper edge down several inches,both on the outside and inside of the vessel and by reason of theability of the casting D to slide outward and inward, or toward and fromthe upright A, when the screw B is slacked and the'screw C turned in theproperdirection, the parts are adapted to apply to tubs or other vesselsof different thicknesses, the respective parts always maintaining theparallelism of the surfaces intended to apply to the tub, whatever maybethickness of the tub.

'ihe mode of operating with this formfof the device is very simple. Itconsists merely inl unscrewing C to release the machine from a tub orbox, and screwing thesaidscrew inagain tosecule it upon another, turningthe screw in each instance until a 'firm' bearing is effected, whatevermay be the thickness of the mass interposed. The pinching-nut b may bealso slacked and tightened at each operation, and in such case themovements of the' casting D and the irrnness of its Viinal position willbe somewhat facilitated; but I do not always tiud it necessary inpractice to start b, alter the machinev has been used la little, and thenut b has been properly adjusted Vwith a moderate pressure or tightness.

I willnow describe the other fori-n of lmyld'evicev-to'wit, that'shownnearest the left side ot"4 the sheet in Figs-l and '2, and shown also inFig. 3. In this the screw C is not employed, and the diagonal strain orpressure of the rib d wit-hin the groove a. and the pressure lof t-hepinching-nut b are valone relied upon to'hold the casting D in place andprevent its slipping along the groove a. To increase t-he tightness ofthe hold of this form of lthe device upon the tub, I usually provide ascrew, E, which is tapped through the descendingportionfof the castingDat the pointrepresen-ted,landl provided with a shoe, e, acting likea'kind of u-niversal joint to give it a fair and easyl bearin g onvessels of all forms.

Iooperate this form of my invention, the screw E may be used alonewithin 'the limits of its moderate range, but? if'any considerabledifference is found in the thickness of lthe partuponwvhichthe machineis clasped-the casting D must be moved out or in .by sliding in thegroove a, the force for this purpose being applied vby the hand, eitherby a direct pressure or by striking it slightly with the hand, or 'withsome convenient object. The nut b may in such case be operated or not,precisely as in the other form of the device.

In either form of my invention the casting D may be made with two branches to take hold of both sides of A; or it may be made to play in amortise in the body ot' A, or instead ot' the groove in A and thecorresponding rib, d, the casting D may be slot-ted and a rib o'r screwsor other bearings may be attached to A A to act in such slots and retainthe outer arm of D in its parallel position with posts A A or a groovemaybe cut in A to receive the entire horizontal portion of the castingD, and the effect will be the same; but I prefer the constructionrepresented.

In the first form of my invention described I can, if desired, mount onthe descending portion of the casting D a swiveling part which shall beof such height as to 'cover the whole or any desired portion ofthebearing part of-D,and this swiveling part may'present asbroad abearing as may be desired to the tub or box. The eect of this expedientis to increase or widen the bearing of the casting D upon the outside ofthe tub or box,=and to allow it to apply equally or nearly equally toall forms of tubs, boxes, barrels, or washinginachines. This swivelingpiece is 'shown in red lines in the'drawings; but I do not consider suchexpedient necessary to the success lof-my invention, because thatportion of the'c'asti-n g itself, it' properly rounded, -is well enoughadapted for the purpose.

The advantages due to my invention, or some features thereof, may beseparately enumerated as follows -First In consequence ofthe uniformlyparallel position of the descending part of the 'casting D to thebearing-edge A', my device is adapted by a single movement to vapply andt perfectly to a-ll thicknesses of tubs and other vessels, `and make along andfair bea-ring thereon. The separate adjustability of the partson the two posts allows me to tighten each post independently of theother, but I do notclai'm this feature as new in itself.

Second. The skewing strain, due to the manner 'in which the forces applyto the parts, by causing' the rib d to bind itself fast inthe groovec,and to hold more tightly infproportion. as the strain is increased, byavoiding the necessity for other t'astenings, or by diminishin g thestrain thereon if they are employed, performs a useful function in themachine,an'd in vbeing rendered available in this manner, constitutes anovelty of a very useful character.

Having now fully described my invention, what' I claim as new therein,and desire to secure-by Letters atent, is as follows 1. The combinationof the sliding jaw D and its clamp-screw B with the screw C, or theequivalent thereof, as applied to the said part D, substantially as andfor the purpose hereinbefore specied.

2. The combination of the sliding jaw D and its lclamp-screw B with thescrew E, or the equivalent thereof', as applied to the said part D,substantially as and for the purpose hereinbefore specified.

3. The combination of the rib d and groove a, or the mechanicalequivalent thereof, with the sliding jaw D, its clamp-screw B, and thescrew C, as applied to the part D, substanially as and for the purposespecified.

4. The combination of the rib d and groove N. A. RHOADS.

Witnesses:

F. P. HALE,Jr., WM. O. HASKELL.

